Tornado in Alaska? Video shows rare funnel cloud in remote landscape
Tornadoes are extremely rare in Alaska, with only 11 documented since 1950.
What looked like a tornado near Cantwell, Alaska, on July 4, turned out to be a funnel cloud. Authorities later confirmed it never reached the ground, so it was not a tornado.
Rumors of a tornado in Alaska swirled on social media on July 4, fueled by an impressive video showing a large funnel extending down across the hilly landscape. But looks can be deceiving.
The funnel cloud was likely generated by winds in the Susitna Valley about 100 miles south of Fairbanks, Alaska. However, it never made contact with the ground, according to the National Weather Service, meaning that despite its appearance, it cannot be considered a tornado.
Tornadoes are extremely rare in Alaska, with only around a dozen ever being confirmed across the state, which is more than twice the size of Texas. The most recent whirlwind was a gustnado filmed in Juneau on June 20, 2025.
Tornadoes 1950-2024 (TornadoArchive.com)
Cantwell, where last weekend's funnel cloud was spotted, is north of all tornado reports in Alaska, except for one unofficial report in 1976 near Kiana, Alaska. Outside of that, 11 tornadoes have been observed in Alaska since 1950, according to TornadoArchive.com.
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